Challenge (Harris Brothers Book 1)

WHEN I GET A GLIMPSE of Belle’s tongue ramming down her dance partner’s throat, I decide it’s time for another drink. I break away from the guy I’m with and interrupt Belle just long enough to tell her I’m going to the bar. When I turn around, my guy has already grabbed another girl, so I don’t feel much love loss there.

I finally get myself out of the throng of people, feeling as if I just got mauled, and my gaze collides with a pair of eyes that I’ve been picturing in my head all night.

The Chosen One.

“Camden?” My voice sounds weak and unsure as I approach him, drinking in his entire body. He’s dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans and a thin, holey grey T-shirt. It’s the kind of shirt you pay a lot of money to have artfully distressed because if you tried to do it yourself, it would look as if you took a paper puncher to it. His hard muscles are on full display beneath the soft fabric and the touch of ink snaking out on one arm adds edge to a drool-worthy boy next door look.

“Indie.” He utters my name so quietly I have to step closer to hear him. Even his blonde hair looks perfect, smoothed over to one side. “This is what you look like outside of work?”

I glance down shrugging. “No, not always.”

“Good,” he replies with a scowl. “Were you dancing with someone out there?”

“Hello, Dr. Porter,” a deep voice interrupts from beside him. I hadn’t realised Camden’s brother, Gareth, was standing right next to him. “Nice to see you.”

“Please, call me Indie.” I look over and smile at him politely, immediately wondering what Camden has told him about me. “What are you guys doing here?”

Camden’s face softens and he replies, “I need to talk to you.”

A pit forms in my stomach from the look on his face. Were my texts too much? Is he wanting out? Without another word, he grips my arm and ushers me away from the bar. His hand is hot on my back as he gestures toward a quiet corner of the club with tall, empty cocktail tables and no chairs. Most of the clubbers are pressing in on the dance floor, so this area feels like a place you could go to murder someone and no one would hear their screams.

“What’s going on? Is everything okay?” I ask, as the music thumps along with my heart. “What does your brother know about us?”

“Everything’s fine.” He gestures for me to stand on one side of the table and positions himself across from me. “Don’t worry about Gareth. I wouldn’t tell him more than he needs to know.”

“So he knows we’re—”

“Forget him. He doesn’t care. But you may as well know there’s not much you can do with a Harris that the others don’t eventually suss out. We’re like fucking psychics when it comes to each other’s business. It’s annoying as fuck.”

“Oh great,” I moan.

“But we don’t judge. Ever.” Camden pins me with a serious look that somehow calms my nerves.

I nod my assent. “So what are you doing here then?’

“I need to make some changes to our arrangement.” Camden is so tall that when he goes to rest his elbows on the table he has to hunch over, bringing our faces only a foot apart now.

Frowning, I ask, “What kind of changes?”

“I need more than one night.” His blue eyes flash back and forth between mine, revealing a touch of uncertainty.

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t just take your virginity and leave. It’ll be awful.” My face falls but he catches himself quickly. “What I mean is, I’m going to make it good, don’t worry. But your first time won’t be as great as your third time. I want a third time. At least.”

My gaze drops. “Camden.”

“I’m not asking for a relationship or dating, or even friends with benefits. I’m just asking for more…sex.” He has the cheek to look sheepish.

“More sex,” I huff. He has an uncanny way of simplifying meaningful conversations into two words.

“And other stuff,” he adds. “I don’t know how much you’ve done and I want to be thorough. You have five days off, right?”

“Yes,” I reply.

“That’s just enough time. We’ll have some time to cool off before my final surgery and bam. I’m out of your life for good, satisfied that I’ve given you a lifetime of memories to make even your future husband look inadequate. It’ll be perfect.”

I can’t help but smile at his arrogance. “You came all the way here, to Club Taint, to tell me you want more sex?”

His eyes narrow. “I thought maybe if you were boozed up a bit, you’d be more amenable. You have a history of being a bit…tense.”

My jaw drops. “That’s only at work. You haven’t seen anything yet.”

He straightens, a broad smile taking over his entire face as he walks slowly around the table. I look down nervously as he grips my waist in his hands, squeezing my sides with delicious promise. Hovering over me, he walks me backwards until I’m pressed up against a nearby wall.

“You haven’t seen anything yet, Indie.” His voice is deep and husky, and the intense look in his eyes drains all good humour from my face. “I might have had one other reason to come here.”

He leans the rest of the way in and kisses me…like a savage.

Everything I remembered about our first kiss, and the second kiss, and the third kiss…is gone. Erased. The bar has been risen so high, all the other bars have disappeared.

My inner voice cheers in triumph at the fact that I’m actually doing this. I’m not just a doctor completely focused on my career. I’m going to be wild and have sex with Camden Harris and shift my one-dimensional life into glorious 3D.

He is the perfect Penis Number One.

Pulling back, he breaks our kiss, leaving my lips feeling raw and swollen. “What are the odds of you coming home with me right the fuck now?”

I swallow once. “I’d say pretty bloody good.”